VA Disability Benefits for Conditions Caused by Agent Orange Exposure
Posted by Gregory M. Rada | October 21, 2020 | Firm News
VA Disability Benefits for Conditions Caused by Agent Orange Exposure
If you were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides while in the military, you may be entitled to VA disability benefits for medical conditions caused by such exposure. A blend of tactical herbicides sprayed in Vietnam’s jungles and throughout the Korean demilitarized zones, Agent Orange helped remove dense tropical foliage that provided cover to enemies. If you have illnesses caused by Agent Orange, you may qualify for VA disability benefits.
To qualify for VA disability benefits due to Agent Orange, the following details must apply to your situation:
- You have a presumptive disease, which is an illness that VA recognizes as caused by Agent Orange, or
- You have a non-presumptive disease that your physician believes is caused by Agent Orange exposure.
In addition, you must be able to show you were exposed to Agent Orange via one of the following methods:
- You came into contact with Agent Orange during your military service, or
- Served in or near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between September 1, 1967, and August 31, 1971, or
- Served in the Republic of Vietnam anytime between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, including aboard a vessel on the Vietnam inland waterways, or on a vessel operating no more than 12 nautical miles from the demarcation line of the waters of Cambodia and Vietnam, or
- Served on a Royal Thai Air Force or U.S. Army installation in Thailand between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, and were regularly near the fenced-in perimeter of the installation.
Agent Orange Illnesses and Diseases
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs believes that contact with Agent Orange could cause several different illnesses, which are referred to as presumptive diseases. You may qualify for VA disability benefits if you came into contact with Agent Orange and have one or more of these illnesses:
- Hodgkin’s disease
- Chronic B-cell leukemia
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Multiple myeloma
- Prostate cancer
- Respiratory cancers – such as cancers of the lung, larynx, bronchus, or trachea
- Soft tissue sarcomas other than Kaposi’s sarcoma, mesothelioma, osteosarcoma, and chondrosarcoma
- Chloracne
- AL amyloidosis
- Diabetes mellitus type 2
- Ischemic heart disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Peripheral neuropathy, early onset (must be 10% disabling with 1 year of exposure)
- Porphyria cutanea tarda
The VA continually reviews current scientific evidence to determine if additional conditions should be added to the presumptive list. For example, current scientific evidence indicates Agent Orange exposure may cause bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, Parkinson’s-like symptoms, and hypertension.
And, even if a condition is not on VA’s presumptive list, it can still be service-connected and linked to Agent Orange if a physician writes a medical opinion explaining why it is at least as likely as not that the chemicals from Agent Orange caused the medical condition.
If you suffer from one of these Agent Orange related diseases, or a disease you believe could be related to Agent Orange, you should contact nationwide VA disability attorney Gregory M. Rada today for a free case review.
